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The Loss
' |image= |series= |production=40274-184 |producer(s)= |story=Hilary J. Bader |script=Hilary J. Bader, Alan J. Adler and Vanessa Greene |director=Chip Chalmers |imdbref=tt0708805 |guests=Kim Braden as Janet Brooks, Mary Kohnert as Tess Allenby, Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan |previous_production=Final Mission |next_production=Data's Day |episode=TNG D10 |airdate=31 December 1990 |previous_release=Final Mission |next_release=Data's Day |story_date(s)=Stardate 44356.9 |previous_story=Final Mission |next_story=Data's Day }} =Summary= Traveling through deep space, the Enterprise stops to investigate an odd phenomenon that appears like phantom images. Meanwhile, ship's counselor Deanna Troi experiences disorientation as her empathic abilities suddenly cease to work. They discover they cannot resume course as the Enterprise is caught up in a group of two-dimensional lifeforms. Without her powers, Troi suffers a tremendous sense of loss, and goes through several classic psychological stages including denial, fear and anger. Ultimately, despite the reassurances of her friends, she resigns as ship's counselor, believing that without her empathic abilities, she cannot perform her duties. Commander Data and Commander Riker realize the two-dimensional creatures are heading for a cosmic string, with the Enterprise in tow, and once they reach the string the ship would be torn apart. Realizing Deanna's loss and the ship's predicament are somehow linked, Captain Picard pleads with her to try and communicate with the strange creatures. After attempting to warn the creatures of the danger posed by the cosmic string, Troi posits that they are seeking out the cosmic string in much the way a moth is drawn to a flame. Working from this hypothesis, Data simulates the vibration of a cosmic string, using the Deflector Dish at a position well behind the Enterprise. The simulations eventually causes the creatures to briefly reverse their course, breaking their momentum long enough allowing the Enterprise to break free. Freed from the two-dimensional creature's influence, Troi's empathic ability is restored. She discovers that her powers were never lost, but were instead overwhelmed by the two-dimensional creatures' strong emotions. Troi returns to her old job with a renewed confidence.. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Troi clearing out her office while the Enterprise is only hours away from being shredded by the cosmic string. She has resigned from her position at this point. Changed Premises # After losing her powers, Troi experiences all the stages of grief. In the process she makes statements such as 'How do you people live like this?' and 'I don't know what to do. All I see are surfaces. Nothing seems real.' These statements give us the impression that Troi has never been without her emphatic powers, yet Tin Man clearly establishes that normal Betazoid children are not born with emphatic powers, but acquire them during adolescence, allowing plenty of time for Troi to form memories of interacting with humanoids prior to gaining her emphatic powers. She has become used to having them. Equipment Oddities # The blue donut lights of the warp core speeding up during increse of impulse power. The engineers may be using warp power to supplement the impulse drive. Nit Central # Erin on Friday, September 15, 2000 - 11:07 am: It's a minor point, but at the end, Troi tells Riker, "Oh, and the next time you call me aristocratic...". Man, I wish "aristocratic" was the worst thing I'd ever been called. ScottN on Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 11:59 am: I think she means, "Don't you dare say I'm just like my mother! Sentram Aristocrats have a reputation for bring rude and stand-offish! # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - 4:22 am: Why does Ensign Cabbagehead, I mean Allenby, have to ask what a Cosmic String is? Doesn't Starfleet consider Cosmic Strings to be Navigational Hazards? They may be very rare. # Joel Croteau (Jcroteau) on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 7:51 pm: Should Counselor Troi be talking about her patients' private therapy with just anyone she comes across? At one point, she talks to Captain Picard about how she's been counseling Ensign Brooks on her inability to deal with the death of her husband. Isn't this confidential information? Is it not really really really really bad for a counselor to discuss this with someone else without their permission? KAM on Monday, January 30, 2006 - 1:27 am: Would the fact that she is not in private practice, but instead is a member of the command staff affect this? Also an argument could be made that as captain Picard has a right to know of potential problems with crewmembers.LUIGI NOVI on Monday, January 30, 2006 - 1:48 am: Yes, but she shouldn't be broadcasting them to others. Confidentiality should still apply. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation